Reports of rape cases nearly triples at CSU Northridge in 2016

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. (FOX 11 / CNS) - Fourteen rapes were reported in Cal State Northridge's jurisdiction in 2016, nearly three times the figure reported the previous year, it was reported on Tuesday.

Nearly all of the 14 rapes reported last year -- which includes four that allegedly occurred in 2015 and one in 2014 -- occurred in campus residential facilities, the Los Angeles Daily News reported, citing the university's annual security report and university officials. In contrast, five rapes were reported in 2015 and two were reported in 2014, according to the newspaper.

Susan Hua, CSUN's director of equity and diversity, said the higher numbers actually reflect a positive development -- more people feeling confident enough to submit rape complaints, reflecting "trust in our system of accountability," - All of the reported rapes were investigated by CSUN's Department of Police Services unless the complainant was anonymous, a university spokeswoman told the Daily News.

The majority of the rapes reported were allegedly perpetrated by people the victim knew, Hua said. However, school officials did not immediately disclose that precise number.